- Hey guys, what is going on?
In this video we're talking about B-roll,
we're talking about cutaways, we're talking about that
footage that isn't necessarily your main footage,
but it's probably one of the most important things
to get when you're out shooting.
(upbeat music)
B-roll, it's that footage you get on the side
that you get to kind of enhance your story,
enhance what it is that you're doing,
but the thing is it's actually one of the most
important things you can do as a film maker,
which is getting good B-roll and getting enough B-roll.
There's so many times I've got back into my edit bay
and I've used every single bit of B-roll that I shot.
It's crazy, when you're out there shooting you think
you've got like 20 shots or 30 shots and you're like,
"That is great, that's good, I've got a ton of
"coverage, I'm good to go."
But in reality when you start cutting it together
and you start splicing you're like,
"Man, I could've used 100 shots."
It's insane how much B-roll you could end up using
on a project and how important that B-roll is.
So outside of the YouTube world I have a production
company and we shoot a lot of promos,
we shoot a lot of commercials,
and then also I work on reality TV and I shoot
documentary work outside of my production company.
I am in this world of go, go, go,
getting things on the spot, going out there and shooting
run and gun style and so B-roll is very important.
For example, I shot a show recently called Mr. Impossible.
It's a (mumbles) documentary show following this guy,
Matt Liston, as he goes around and tries to change
things in the sports world.
So he does these crazy impossible tasks
and then I film every step of the way and then we cut
these little documentaries out of it.
So we've done three of these so far and I can't tell you
how important B-roll is.
So when we're shooting, say, an interview,
it's Matt and it's a player and they're having
a conversation, not only am I covering that with
three cameras, so one on either person and then
I'm doing a third as a wide,
but the most important thing that they always
ask me for in the edit bay from the editors is that
they need cutaways.
So they need that B-roll footage of hands moving,
they need some stuff in the environment because
there's always situations where you need to cut away.
It's always crazy when you start doing a documentary
project and you're looking for B-roll,
you'll see things like hands movement,
you'll see reactions, you'll see all this different stuff
that is not actually the person talking on camera.
And a lot of that you get after the fact.
So we'll shoot an entire interview and then because
we're working with big players, some of these famous guys,
they don't have a lot of time,
we have like 15 minutes with them.
So we'll shoot the interview, he'll take off,
but then what we'll do is we'll keep Matt there
and we'll shoot a ton of extra footage and B-roll
and inserts, just things that could be used throughout
the entire interview, but make it seem like it's
seamless to make it seem like we captured it
at the moment.
So outside of the interview sphere,
let's say you're making like a travel video.
I mean, we make a ton of travel videos.
B-roll is like the number one thing.
So I could shoot a vlog and I could be having myself
on camera just chat, chat, chat,
but it's not really that interesting.
The interesting stuff is all that B-roll footage,
it's all the extra footage,
it's footage that helps tell the story.
So you've got to get the insert shots,
you've got to get the slow motion shots,
you've got to get the drone shots.
I mean, all this footage is so important in capturing
the place, the look, and the feel and everything
about what it is that you're shooting,
just talking to the camera you're not gonna get.
So B-roll gives you that window into the environment,
it gives you more coverage of the subject that you're
capturing so that the viewers have a better
understanding of what it is that you're shooting.
They get a better understanding of your story.
They get the entire picture of what it is that you're
trying to do.
And at the very least, B-roll is gonna help save
your project.
So let's say that you shot a bunch of interviews
and you have a little bit of footage and you're trying
to tell a story.
Well, if you don't have very much footage then
your film is gonna fall flat,
it's just not gonna work because you need that B-roll
to move the story along.
You need the B-roll to cover things when there's errors.
You need the B-roll to show bigger picture.
So I can't stress it enough, B-roll is absolutely
important.
Anything that's a cutaway from your main subject
is considered B-roll and that is very, very important.
So when you're out shooting, a tip that I'm gonna give
to you, when you think you've captured enough B-roll
don't stop.
Because here's the thing, there's always more shots
that you're gonna need.
When I'm shooting these documentary projects,
I am always just looking and thinking,
"What else could I capture in this scene
"and the environment?"
And it blows me away of how much of this footage
actually gets used.
There's never too much B-roll.
And that's something you've got to get out of your head.
There's never, you're never finished.
Like, you can always capture more because if you have
more B-roll then you can paint a better picture,
you can use it, sculpt it in different ways.
When you get in the edit bay, there is a lot of use
for all that extra footage that you're gathering
around your subject.
Okay guys, that is enough with the preaching on B-roll.
I hope that was helpful.
When you're out there shooting, just think,
"How can I capture this scene outside of the
"main shoot?"
And go grab some extra footage.
The more you shoot and the more you edit,
the more you play with your footage in post
you'll realize, "Oh I need more B-roll,"
or, "I need more of that, I need more of that."
So B-roll is one of those number one things that
you've just got to get and you've got to get a lot of.
Alright guys, if you haven't already,
make sure you hit that subscribe button,
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Also we've got a ton of awesome travel content,
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And guys, I will see you on the next one.